3CX Hosted vs Self-Hosted

[dsmithspcc]

Dear All

Apologies for the basic question but I'm just starting out as a 3CX admin...

If 3CX is installed locally on a VM on-site, in the event of a broadband/internet failure, will calls between internal extensions still continue to function or does traffic always travel across the internet even between internal extensions?

A hosted, managed 3CX would take away some of the pressure on our on-site IT team to have to regularly patch and maintain the server so might be preferable for us. However, I am concerned that if we lose connection to the internet temporarily, we may lose all internal and external telephones. This would be unacceptable for my organisation and considered a safeguarding concern.

Any advice gratefully received.

Many thanks

Dan

 

[leejor]

If hosted locally, then internal calls will continue to work, as would any trunk calls if using a PSTN (and possibly ISDN) gateway, not routed over the internet connection.

 

[Evolute IT]

If hosted in the Cloud, when the Internet connection drops, they can still take calls using the 3CX app, which works perfectly. So they don't miss any calls.

 

[dsmithspcc]

If hosted in the Cloud, when the Internet connection drops, they can still take calls using the 3CX app, which works perfectly. So they don't miss any calls.

Many thanks for the information. We are a school and many of our telephones are in department offices shared by multiple teachers. It would not be possible for them to use their mobiles to accept calls on the app, but it is critical that we do still have internal lines to cover any emergency that happens whilst the internet is down. I'm really grateful for your help.

 

[dsmithspcc]

If hosted locally, then internal calls will continue to work, as would any trunk calls if using a PSTN (and possibly ISDN gateway, not routed over the internet connection.

Many thanks, I'll research this further to understand it better.

 

[leejor]

If the location has a history of losing internet connectivity, then one or two PSTN lines, as backup routes, particularly for outgoing, may be advisable. These lines could be used for 911, or as fax lines under normal conditions. Some VoIP provider will route calls to a PSTN number if registration from the PBX fails, but, this can take some time depending on how often re-registration takes place. If the PSTN lines are normally used for other functions, then incoming calls will continue to the "normal" destinations, so a dedicated number, or one normally used for 911 outgoing only, might be considered.

 

[dsmithspcc]

If the location has a history of losing internet connectivity, then one or two PSTN lines, as backup routes, particularly for outgoing, may be advisable. These lines could be used for 911, or as fax lines under normal conditions. Some VoIP provider will route calls to a PSTN number if registration from the PBX fails, but, this can take some time depending on how often re-registration takes place. If the PSTN lines are normally used for other functions, then incoming calls will continue to the "normal" destinations, so a dedicated number, or one normally used for 911 outgoing only, might be considered.

Thank you so much!

 

[JohnS_3CX]

So long as the building has power, internal calls will work just fine. The main things you lose while the internet is down are internet-based trunks, webmeeting, and remote clients that need to reach your PBX over the internet (ie. an android phone user that is offsite).

 

[Alphabetic]

3CX hosted = more money as a supplier

 

[BrenttG]

@dsmithspcc also consider a linux based 3CX server in your VM as it will be far easier to maintain and update than a windows server which will need to constantly be rebooted, run windows updates and hope none of them break 3CX services, and then when windows update turns the windows firewall back on full without telling you, etc.... And god forbid a windows update gets stuck, and you cannot boot up your phone system XD?!?!

 

[dsmithspcc]

@dsmithspcc also consider a linux based 3CX server in your VM as it will be far easier to maintain and update than a windows server which will need to constantly be rebooted, run windows updates and hope none of them break 3CX services, and then when windows update turns the windows firewall back on full without telling you, etc.... And god forbid a windows update gets stuck, and you cannot boot up your phone system XD?!?!

Makes total sense - thank you!

 

[dsmithspcc]

3CX hosted = more money as a supplier

I've been put right off! Self-hosted all the way...

 

[Alphabetic]

I've been put right off! Self-hosted all the way...

I meanted 3CX, hosted not 3CX hosted.

 

[Clément Rousseau]

Hi all,
from my point of view, its better to go on premise when your link don't depend on your internet connexion (if you use a Beronet or Patton gateway to connect direclty to operators). As if you lose fiber or xdsl, you dont lose your phone system, only the management on it.

If you are using sip trunk, for me, its better to go for a vm hosted elsewhere as if you lose link connectivity on site, you always have control of communications. + users have smartphone applications or you can set forwards to mobiles phones.

Concerning profits I don't know, depends a lot of the client. Nowadays more and more clients dont want to pay everything at once, but I would say this is not something hosted/on premise dependent becasuse you can always work with some "bank" partner if they don't want to pay everything at once. From my perspective it will be better in the long term to let the client to pay for a VM monthly but I am just a tech...

 

[Lee Cramman]

You could always cloud host and have 4G failover. That way an internet failure would only mean a few seconds or maybe a minute of downtime.